Fastening Device for Fastening an Electronic Component

The present application is a national phase application of PCT Application No. PCT/IB2023/062355, filed Dec. 7, 2023, entitled “FASTENING DEVICE FOR FASTENING AN ELECTRONIC COMPONENT”, which claims the benefit of Austrian Patent Application No. A 234/2022, filed Dec. 27, 2022, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The invention relates to a fastening device for fastening an electronic component, which has at least one fastening tab with at least one hole, to a sheet-metal angled rail of a rack having a row of holes.

The invention further relates to a rack for storing electronic components, comprising at least two spaced-apart, vertically extending sheet-metal angled rails having a row of holes, the mutually facing first legs of which delimit an opening and to which at least one electronic component is fastened, wherein one fastening device according to the invention is fastened to the first leg.

In connection with the present invention and in accordance with technical usage, the term rack is understood to mean a rack for electronic components with a standardized width of, for example, 19 inches, in which the individual components that can be mounted in the rack have a width of, for example, 19 inches that corresponds to the standardized width. In the height direction, such a rack is usually subdivided into standardized rack units, which in turn determines the minimum height of a component to be mounted. Accordingly, the electronic components to be fastened in the rack usually have a standardized height of one rack unit or a multiple thereof. A rack unit of a standard 19 inch rack has a height of 1.75 inches.

The electronic components to be fastened with the fastening device have laterally protruding plate-shaped fastening tabs, by means of which sheet-metal angled rails running on the front side of the rack are fastened to the rows of holes. The plate-shaped fastening tabs of the electronic component are provided with holes in their laterally protruding areas, which serve to receive connecting means, in particular screw bolts, in a position aligned with the row of holes of the sheet-metal angled rails. The sheet-metal angled rails can be about 2 mm thick and, in the case of standard 19-inch racks, are each 15.88 mm wide and form an approximately 19-inch wide opening between them. For each rack unit, there are usually three holes at intervals of 0.655 inches one above the other.

The fastening of electronic components in racks is complex and usually difficult, since the electronic components have a certain weight and a certain bulkiness.

Electronic components are usually fastened on the front side of the rack, i.e. where the vertically extending sheet-metal angled rails provided with the row of holes are arranged.

The holes of the row of holes can be formed as round holes in so-called “round-hole racks” or as square holes in so-called “square-hole racks” or are provided with threads in so-called “threaded-hole racks”.

Since racks of the conventional type do not provide a support surface for mounting the electronic components, the installer must manually bring the electronic component into a position in which the holes on the laterally protruding areas of the plate-shaped fastening tabs are aligned with the holes of the row of holes of the sheet-metal angled rails, hold the component in this position and attach the connecting screws to fix the component in the rack. The installer must either hold the electronic component in the correct position himself, so that only one free hand is available for fastening the component, or the assembly must be carried out by two people, one of the parties holding the component in the correct mounting position and the other carrying out the fastening.

Alternatively, electronic components may also be mounted on the back of the rack, which is usually also provided with rows of holes.

Due to the above-mentioned shortcomings, the mounting of electronic components in racks is time-consuming and requires a high level of personnel.

The present invention therefore aims to provide a fastening device with which the aforementioned disadvantages can be overcome.

To achieve the object according to the invention, the invention provides a fastening device for fastening an electronic component, which has at least one fastening tab with at least one hole, to a sheet-metal angled rail of a rack having a row of holes, the fastening device comprising a plate which can be placed on a side wall of the component and can optionally be connected thereto, the plate having a fastening section bent along a bending line, the fastening section having at least one first fastening bolt that extends away from the plate and can be inserted into the hole of the fastening tab and optionally into the row of holes.

According to the invention, it is accordingly provided that the plate of the fastening device faces the side wall of the electronic component and the at least one first fastening bolt of the fastening section passes through the fastening tab of the electronic component and optionally the row of holes, which allows the electronic component to be supported and an associated simplified assembly. In this case, one or preferably two fastening devices may be fastened in advance to the respective sheet-metal angled rail or hooked into it, and the electronic component can then be supported on the fastening device(s), so that a supported position of the components is already ensured for the subsequent assembly of screws or the like. It is therefore no longer necessary to support the component manually at the same time for its assembly and to fasten it to the sheet-metal angled rails.

Preferably, the at least one first fastening bolt is designed as a threaded bolt.

Since the row of holes of the rack runs vertically, it is preferably provided that the fastening section of the fastening device runs at a right angle to the plate. This ensures that the fastening section rests flat against the row of holes of the rack.

The fastening device according to the invention is preferably further developed in such a way that the fastening section has two first fastening bolts which extend away from the plate and can each be inserted into a hole in the fastening tab and optionally into the row of holes.

The provision of two bolts enables a more stable fixing of the electronic component in the rack compared to an embodiment with only one bolt, since the two bolts of the fastening section engage in two holes-instead of only one hole—of the row of holes of the rack. The dead weight of the electronic component exerts a tilting moment on the fastening bolts, which, with a suitable design, leads to the first fastening bolts becoming wedged in the holes of the row of holes in the rack, so that the electronic component is secured against falling down even without further connecting elements on the rack.

In order to make the fastening device according to the invention usable also in the case of so-called “threaded-hole racks”, i.e. in the case of racks with holes having threads, it is preferably provided that the fastening section has a through-hole for a screw bolt connecting the fastening section to the row of holes.

Furthermore, in the case of this preferred embodiment, it is preferably provided that the fastening section has at least one second fastening bolt extending away from the plate and facing away from the at least one first fastening bolt.

If the above-described preferred embodiment of the fastening device according to the invention is fastened to a row of holes in a rack, the second fastening bolt passes through a hole in the row of holes from the front, i.e. from the outside of the rack, and thus ensures the desired fixing and support of the electronic component placed on the first fastening bolts.

It is preferably provided that the fastening section has two second fastening bolts, which extend away from the plate and can each be inserted into a hole in the row of holes and between which the through-hole is arranged.

In order to securely support the electronic component on the fastening devices, it can preferably be provided that the plate has a positive-locking element which acts in the direction of the bending line and can be brought into positive-locking engagement with the component in order to support the component against gravity.

The phrase “effective in the direction of the bending line” is to be understood here as meaning that the component is accommodated in the rack in such a way that it cannot move in the direction of the floor on which the rack stands, i.e. is protected against falling or sagging.

In an advantageous manner, the fastening device according to the invention is further developed in such a way that the plate is formed with a long and a short side, in particular rectangular, wherein the fastening section is bent along the short side and a holding section forming the positive-locking element is bent along the long side, on which the component can be supported, wherein the holding section is preferably bent starting from the plate plane in a direction opposite to the fastening section.

According to this preferred embodiment, the side regions of the electronic component rest with their underside in a positive-locking manner on the respective holding section, whereby a stable support of the component within the rack is made possible and the assembly of the component is significantly facilitated.

A sagging of heavy electronic components in a rack unit lying below the fastening plane can thus be effectively prevented both during the assembly process and afterwards.

A further advantage of this preferred embodiment is that electronic components that do not have a separate device for fastening on the front and optional rear 19-inch sheet-metal angled rails of the rack, such as a server with only laterally fastened server rails, can be fastened in a space-saving manner.

According to an alternative embodiment, it is preferably provided that the positive-locking element is formed by an end region of the plate which is bent in a hook-like manner.

This alternative embodiment also provides a stable fastening option for electronic components in racks, by means of which sagging is prevented and assembly is significantly simplified.

The invention further relates to a rack for storing electronic components, comprising at least two spaced-apart, vertically extending sheet-metal angled rails having a row of holes, the mutually facing first legs of which delimit an opening and to which at least one electronic component is fastened, wherein the electronic component essentially has a width corresponding to the opening and at least two fastening tabs which project outwards at a front side at their edges, are preferably aligned with the front side, are arranged adjacent to the first legs and have holes aligned with holes of the row of holes, and wherein one above-explained fastening device is fastened to each of the first legs, the first fastening bolts of the fastening device penetrating the holes of the fastening tab and optionally into the row of holes and on which the component is supported in a positive-locking manner against gravity.

In this case, the first leg of the respective sheet-metal angled rail of the rack is the leg to which the fastening tabs of the electronic components are fastened and which generally lie in a common front plane.

The fastening tabs of the component lie on the front side, i.e. the side facing away from the interior of the rack, of the row of holes and can thus be held by the first fastening bolts, which are arranged on the fastening device and penetrate the holes from the rear, as a result of which the component is fixed to the rack.

The rack is preferably formed in such a way that the fastening section of the fastening device is arranged on the inside of the sheet-metal angled rail of the rack on the first leg.

This arrangement is selected when the fastening device is used on so-called “round-hole” or “square-hole” racks, i.e. racks with round or square holes.

Alternatively, it can be provided that the fastening section is arranged on the outside of the sheet-metal angled rail on the first leg.

This arrangement is used when the fastening device is fastened to so-called “threaded-hole racks”, i.e. racks with threaded holes.

In the case of fixing to a “threaded-hole rack”, it is preferably provided that the second fastening bolts penetrate holes of the row of holes, wherein the through-hole arranged between the second fastening bolts is arranged in alignment with a hole of the row of holes and is penetrated by a screw bolt connecting the fastening section to the row of holes.

The screw bolt achieves the desired locking and fixing of the electronic component in the rack.

In order to enable the most extensive surface support possible, it is particularly preferably provided that the component rests on the holding section.

Alternatively, it can be provided that the end region, which is bent in a hook-like manner, engages in a slot-shaped recess of the component, thereby ensuring a stable positive-locking connection between the end region and the recess.

The rack particularly preferably has four sheet-metal angled rails delimiting a cuboid-shaped storage space, and the fastening devices do not form a continuous connection between two adjacent sheet-metal angled rails.

In each case, two of the four sheet-metal angled rails delimiting the cuboid-shaped storage space form the front and the rear of the rack.

According to this preferred embodiment, the fastening device fastened to the front or rear side of the row of holes protrudes into the interior of the cuboid-shaped storage space, i.e. extends in the direction of a second leg of the sheet-metal angled rail of the rack.

In this case, the end of the fastening device having the at least one first fastening bolt is arranged on the front or rear side of the row of holes, and the fastening bolt passes through a hole in the fastening tab from the rear (in the case of the embodiment arranged on the front side) and a hole in the fastening tab and in the row of holes from the rear (in the case of the embodiment arranged on the rear side).

This enables a stable fastening of an electronic component in a rack without the need for a connection between two adjacent sheet-metal angled rails, as provided for in the prior art.

1 FIG. 1 1 2 4 3 5 2 4 2 In, the fastening device is denoted by. The fastening devicecomprises a platewhich has a fastening sectionwhich is bent along a bending lineand has two first fastening boltswhich extend away from the plate. The fastening sectionextends at a right angle to the plate.

2 6 3 1 FIG. The platehas a positive-locking element, which acts in the direction of the bending lineand on which an electronic component (not shown in) can be placed in order to support the component against gravity.

2 4 7 6 7 4 The platehas a long side and a short side and is formed to be rectangular, wherein the fastening sectionis bent along the short side and a holding sectionforming the positive-locking elementis bent along the long side. Starting from the plate plane, the holding sectionis bent at a right angle in a direction opposite to the fastening section.

2 FIG. 1 FIG. shows a second embodiment of the invention, wherein the same parts are provided with the same reference numerals as in.

1 FIG. 1 FIG. 2 FIG. 6 8 2 In contrast to the embodiment shown in, the positive-locking elementshown inis formed inby an end regionof the plate, which is bent in a hook-like manner.

3 FIG. 1 FIG. 1 9 16 17 10 shows the first embodiment of the fastening deviceaccording to the invention shown inin combination with a row of holeson a first legof a sheet-metal angled railof a rack and an electronic componentto be fastened to the rack.

10 11 12 18 9 The electronic componentis equipped on both sides with fastening tabs, each having two holes, which, in the assembled state, are aligned with the holesof the front side of the row of holesof the rack.

10 9 5 1 12 11 18 9 16 11 4 1 19 5 10 7 10 If the electronic componentis fastened to the row of holes, the first fastening boltsof the fastening devicepenetrate both the holesof the fastening taband the holesof the row of holes, the first legbeing clamped between the fastening taband the fastening sectionof the deviceby tightening the nutsscrewed onto a thread on the first fastening bolts. In this case, the electronic componentrests on the holding section. This ensures that the componentis supported in a positive-locking manner against gravity and is securely fastened in the rack.

4 FIG. 2 FIG. 1 9 10 shows the second embodiment of the fastening deviceaccording to the invention shown inin combination with a row of holesof a rack and an electronic componentto be fastened in the rack.

10 8 2 In contrast to the first embodiment, the electronic componentis supported by latching into an end regionof the plate, which is bent in a hook-like manner.

10 8 8 In this case, the electronic componenthas a counterpart that fits the bent end region, e.g. a slot-shaped recess, in which the end regionengages.

5 FIG. 1 9 10 shows a modified embodiment of the fastening of the fastening deviceaccording to the invention to the row of holesof a rack. In the case of this embodiment, the rack in which the electronic componentis to be fastened is a so-called “threaded-hole rack”.

4 13 14 4 9 In this case, the fastening sectionis provided with a through-hole, through which a screw boltis screwed when the fastening sectionis to be connected to the row of holesof the rack.

4 15 5 Furthermore, in the case of this preferred embodiment, it is provided that the fastening sectionhas two second fastening boltsextending away from the plate and facing away from the two first fastening bolts.

9 15 1 18 9 1 11 10 5 5 12 11 4 11 9 When fastened to the row of holes, the second fastening boltsof the fastening devicepenetrate the holesof the row of holesfrom the front, i.e. from the outside of the rack, and thus provide the desired support for the fastening device, as well as the fastening tabof the electronic component, which is likewise placed on the first fastening boltsfrom the front. The first fastening boltspass through the holesof the fastening tab, and the fastening sectionis arranged between the fastening taband the row of holes.

14 13 4 1 9 10 5 1 9 19 5 5 FIG. By tightening the screw boltlocated in the through-holeof the fastening section, the fastening deviceis fixed to the row of holes. The electronic componentmounted from the front on the first fastening boltsis fixed to the fastening deviceand the row of holesby tightening nuts, which are not shown inand can be screwed onto a thread on the first fastening bolts.

1 FIG. 3 FIG. 10 6 10 Analogous to the embodiment shown inand, the electronic componentis supported by means of the positive-locking element, on which the componentrests.

6 FIG. 5 FIG. 2 FIG. 1 shows the fastening according toin the case of the fastening deviceaccording to the invention according to.

4 FIG. 10 8 2 Analogous to the embodiment according to, the electronic componentis supported by latching into an end regionof the plate, which is bent in a hook-like manner.